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Personal Life

Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Dorothy, who worked as a hostess at Howard Johnson's, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker and Korean War veteran. Buscemi's father was Italian American and his mother Irish American.[1][2][3] He has three brothers: Jon, Ken, and Michael. Buscemi was raised Catholic,[4] but had given up on God by junior high school.[5] He graduated in 1975 from Valley Stream Central High School in Valley Stream, New York, a school which he attended with actress Patricia Charbonneau. In high school, Buscemi wrestled for the varsity squad and participated in the drama troupe, at that time directed by Mr. Lynne C. Lappin. (Buscemi's 1996 film Trees Lounge, in which he not only starred but served as screenwriter and director, is set in and was largely shot in his childhood village of Valley Stream.[6]) Buscemi briefly attended Nassau Community College before moving to Manhattan to enroll in the Lee Strasberg Institute. In the early '80s Buscemi also served as a firefighter for four years with the FDNY. On March 4th 2005, Buscemi returned to his old high school where he was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award as part of the school's 75th anniversary celebration.

The day after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Buscemi went to his old firehouse to volunteer for recovery work at Ground Zero. That week, he worked 12 hour shifts digging through the rubble, while refusing to do interviews or have his picture taken.[8]

In April 2001, while shooting the film Domestic Disturbance in Wilmington, North Carolina, Buscemi was stabbed while intervening in a bar fight between his friend Vince Vaughn, screenwriter Scott Rosenberg and a local man, who allegedly instigated the brawl.[9][10]

During his profile on the show Inside the Actors Studio, director John Waters said that he and Buscemi bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, to the point where Waters sent out Christmas cards with a picture of "himself" which was actually Buscemi dressed as him. He also (somewhat jokingly) noted that should a movie ever be made about Waters' life, Buscemi has agreed to star as Waters in the film.

Buscemi has one son, Lucian, with his wife Jo Andres

Education

Career

Acting

Buscemi is an associate member of the experimental theater company The Wooster Group. Buscemi’s first appearance was in Parting Glances in 1986, where he played Nick, an AIDS stricken man.

He first hit the cinema in the 1988 film Call Me, where he played Switchblade. He also was in Tales from the Darkside, a 1990 film with 3 segments, where Buscemi starred in the first, playing Bellingham, a college student who orders a mummy and unleashes it on fellow college students played by Christian Slater and Julianne Moore.

During 1990, Buscemi had a couple of additional crime roles. He played the henchman of Laurence Fishburne named Test Tube in Christopher Walken’s King of New York, and played Mink in the Coen Brothers Millers Crossing. This marked the first of six films of the Coen Brothers which Buscemi appeared in.

In 1991 he played the bellboy, Chet, in the Coen Brothers film, Barton Fink. His first lead role was in 1992, where he played Adolpho Rollo in In the Soup. Then he finally came to public attention for playing Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 film, Reservoir Dogs.

Buscemi's most notable character roles include Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs, Garland Greene in Con Air, Rockhound in Armageddon, Donny in The Big Lebowski and Carl Showalter in Fargo. Although usually a supporting actor, he has had critical success as a lead actor, particularly in his role as Seymour in Ghost World. Buscemi often plays characters that are neurotic and paranoid. He has appeared in a number of films by the Coen Brothers, in which he tends to die in a grisly, prolonged or unexpected manner. He frequently provides comic relief in Adam Sandler films such as Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy and Mr. Deeds. Buscemi also starred with Sandler (as brothers) in Airheads. Buscemi also played a nemesis to Sandler and Kevin James in the comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. He also has worked with Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Jim Jarmusch and Robert Rodriguez on various occasions. Buscemi made an appearance in Pulp Fiction in 1994.

In 2003, Buscemi made a brief celebrity guest appearance as himself on the long-running FOX animated television show The Simpsons in the episode "Brake My Wife, Please". Most recently, Buscemi provided the voice for Dwight, a bank robber who Marge promises to visit in jail if he turns himself in to the authorities. This episode, entitled "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", originally aired on October 14, 2007.

In 2004, Buscemi joined the cast of The Sopranos as Tony Soprano's cousin and childhood friend, Tony Blundetto. Buscemi had previously contributed to the show as director of the third season episode "Pine Barrens" (one of the most critically-acclaimed episodes of the series). He appeared in the third episode of Season 6, as a doorman in heaven (portrayed as a country club) in Tony Soprano's dream. He returned to direct the episode "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request...", the fifth episode of Season 6.

In 2005, he played James McCord in The Island. The man who helped the two main characters escape the complex and gave them a quick overview of the real world. Again this role was about a strange but very fun and likable person.

In 1995, Buscemi played suspected cop-shooter Gordon Pratt in the episode "End Game" at the end of a three-episode arc of Homicide: Life on the Street. He also had a role as Phil Hickle, Ellen's father and older Pete's guidance counselor, in The Adventures of Pete and Pete, as well as guest-starring in Miami Vice in 1986. Buscemi was rumored to be considered for the role of The Scarecrow in Joel Schumacher's proposed fifth installment of the Batman franchise, Batman Triumphant, before Warner Bros. cancelled the project.[7]

In 2004, Buscemi appeared in the music video for Joe Strummer's cover of the Bob Marley track "Redemption Song". The video is shot after Strummer's death, and Buscemi appears alongside of a graffiti portrait of Strummer.

In 2008, he provided the voice for Scamper, an intelligent, yet suicidal, rabbit in the animated film Igor.

Directing

Buscemi worked extensively as a director, having worked on (and starred in) the feature film, Interview (2007). He directed Trees Lounge (1996), Animal Factory (2000), and Lonesome Jim (2005). In addition to feature films, he directed episodes of the television shows Homicide: Life on the Street and The Sopranos, as well as two episodes of HBO's prison-drama series Oz, entitled "U.S. Male" and "Cuts Like a Knife".

Filmography

Trivia

Surname pronunced Buss-ehm-ee. Is of Italian and Irish-American ancestry.

Ranked #52 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Graduated in 1975 from Valley Stream Central High School, Valley Stream, NY. After graduation, he attended Nassau Community College and then moved to Manhattan to study acting at the famed Lee Strasberg Institute.

Brother of Michael Buscemi.

Was a New York City Fireman from 1980 to 1984, with Engine Company #55 in the Little Italy section of NY.

One son, Lucian Buscemi, born in 1990.

Has been cast in six movies by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, more appearances in Coen Brothers films than any other actor, exceeding by two films Frances McDormand, John Turturro and John Goodman. His character died in three of them: Miller's Crossing (1990), Fargo (1996), and The Big Lebowski (1998).

Frequently appears in unbilled roles in Adam Sandler movies.

Stabbed in the throat, head and arm during a barroom brawl at the Firebelly Lounge in Wilmington, North Carolina. The brawl also involved Vince Vaughn, who was arrested for brutalizing one of Buscemi's attackers. He suffered a deep cut to the face and now has a noticeable scar on his cheek. Heavy make-up is used to hide it in movies. [12 April 2001]

Showed up at his old firehouse the day after the World Trade Center tragedy in New York to volunteer. Worked twelve hour shifts for a week after the terrorist act, digging through rubble with his old comrades looking for missing firefighters... anonymously. [September 2001]

Bears such a strong resemblance to writer-director John Waters that as a joke, Waters sent out cards with a photo of Buscemi made up to look like Waters.

Modelled for H&M (2000).

He went through a variety of interesting jobs before hitting it big as a character actor. He worked as a bartender, drove an ice-cream truck, attempted stand-up comedy, and (that which he is most proud of) was a firefighter (he continues to be a volunteer fire-fighter). He bombed so bad as a comic one night another comic took his place, Paul Reiser. Years later Buscemi and Reiser did an episode of "Mad About You" (1992) poking fun at the incident.

Frequently is typecast as sleazy or crazed characters, with his roles as Tommy in Trees Lounge (1996) and Seymour in Ghost World (2001) being the closest he has come to being the romantic lead.

Is one of the most prolific of today's actors, often starring in about 5 films a year.

In addition to his acting work, he has gained praise as a director, most notably for Trees Lounge (1996), Animal Factory (2000) and several episodes of "The Sopranos" (1999).

The band "Blessid Union of Souls" makes a reference to him in their hit song, "Hey Leonardo". They refer to him as "That guy who played in Fargo (1996). I think his name is Steve."

Plays characters who are fast talkers.

Auditioned for the part of George Costanza on "Seinfeld" (1990).

His mother is Irish-American.

In 2003, as part of a year-long tourist promotion at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he narrated the facility's audio tour.

His character in Reservoir Dogs (1992) refuses to tip waitresses. He later made a cameo as a waiter in Pulp Fiction (1994).

Was good enough to be a varsity wrestler (105 lb weight class) on the wrestling team in high school. He was also a soccer player, and was considered a "jock" rather than a scholar. Years later, while on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993), Buscemi challenged Andy Richter to a wrestling match when he found out Richter was on a high school wrestling team also. Much to Buscemi's embarrassment, Richter won, although Richter noted that fact the he is six inches taller and at least 100 pounds heavier might have given him an edge.

  1. 21 on Tropopkin's Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100]

Played a character in Desperado (1995) whose character's name was his own last name.

[Spoilers]: Is infamous for his high number of on screen deaths. Ironically, in the movie Reservoir Dogs (1992), he is the only character to survive.

Was suppose to attend the Kosmorama International Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway in 2007, but canceled two weeks before.

Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.

His father, John, had hoped to be a television cameraman, but he ended up clearing garbage for the sanitation department. His mother, Dorothy, worked as a hostess in the Howard Johnson hotels.

Has three brothers.

Was born on a Friday the 13th.

Went to a Catholic school.

Grandmother had 5 children.

Fractured his skull when he was hit by the bus when he was young. Some time later, he was hit by a car while chasing a ball which had rolled onto the street. He had cuts and bruises from this accident.

Grew up in Valley Stream, New York, as did actors Edward Burns, James Martin Kelly, and Larry Miller.

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